AFU advances near Bakhmut, Russian successes remain unsubstantiated - ISW

Ukrainian defense forces confirmed an offensive near Bakhmut amid ongoing positional fighting along the front line. They have regained positions near Klishchiivka.

The situation was reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). They pointed to the contradictory statements of the occupiers, who claimed to have captured new heights but at the same time recognized the advance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

It is noted that Ukrainian soldiers have recently advanced slightly southwest of Bakhmut. The analysts refer to footage published by the occupiers on February 3, in which elements of the 85th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (2nd Army Corps of the "LPR") strike at Ukrainian forces operating in the forest area east of Klishchiivka (southwest of Bakhmut).

According to the ISW, this area was under control of the Russian Armed Forces, so what the invaders said suggests that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have recently regained their positions there.

Russian sources reported that the occupiers had advanced along an unspecified road towards Ivanivske (west of Bakhmut) and "seized" new heights north and northwest of Klishchiivka. They also claimed that Ukrainian troops had retaken several positions north of Bohdanivka (northwest of Bakhmut).

"ISW has not found visual evidence to support these claims. Positional fighting continued in the area of Bohdanivka and Klishchiivka, as well as in the direction of Ivanivske," analysts said in response to the Russians' unfounded claims.

Earlier, Captain Iliia Yevlash, spokesman for the Eastern Group of Ukrainian troops, said that the Russian military command was moving reserves to the Bakhmut direction to break through Ukrainian defenses west of Bakhmut in the direction of Chasovyi Yar.

According to Russian propagandists, units of the Russian so-called Siberia Cossack Brigade are operating in the area of Soledar (northeast of Bakhmut).

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